Prerunner or Rock crawler

[4x4junkie]

OK this is what Im thinking, since it is just about 50/50 with everyone I talk to. Style it like a prerunner, fiberglass fenders and hood, and prerunner style front bumper, but build the suspension more towards the rock crawler aspect.

Dana 35 TTB with dana 44 knuckle swap up front
Explorer 8.8" in the rear
3"-5" suspension lift
Rock Sliders
Differential skid plates
Interior cage
Warn locking hubs
ARB air lockers

Maybe run James Duff suspension
And I get my 4.0Liter next monday, so its just about time to start building.
Thoughts? Advice?

-Jester

That sounds like a decent plan, although I agree with sasdranger, fiberglass and rocks/trees don't mix well.

Feel free to check out my BII Cardomain page, maybe you can glean some ideas from my build.

P.S., I put a plural in your quote, you'll need that if you want to play in rocks

 

[The Jester Race]

Just to give you guys an idea of the places I wheel. Not alot of time is spent up close with rocks and trees, its pretty much wide open. But of course Iv only had my truck for about 4 months and only been out on the trails a couple of times.

Now you cant tell me that the B2 doesnt look sick with the fiberglass. But right now Im going to focus on getting my 4.0 Liter built and in. Anybody know what kind of performance parts are available for the 4.0? And where to get them?

-Jester

 

[CopyKat]

Here is a picture of mine.

When I made my glass fenders all the guys I wheel with gave me the gears about banging them up. I've yet to hit a tree or rock, with the steel fenders. So the fiberglass ones shouldn't be a big deal. I've got plans to help stiffen the glass should I glaze a tree or rock.

 

[4x4junkie]

Just to give you guys an idea of the places I wheel. Not alot of time is spent up close with rocks and trees, its pretty much wide open. But of course Iv only had my truck for about 4 months and only been out on the trails a couple of times.

I would think you being in Northern Cal you'd probably want to check out the famous Rubicon trail up near Lake Tahoe some day. Awesome trail (although a little crowded at times).
I ran it a few years ago myself and thoroughly enjoyed it, real pretty up there in the high Sierras.

 

[The Jester Race]

Actually that picture wasnt taken too far away from the Rubicon. Maybe 50 miles as the black bird flys. Same distance from my house to either place.

"A" is the staging area at Loon Lake and "B" is where my pic was taken at. I would like to go through it, but Iv seen people tear the shit out of their trucks going through it, and thats not something Im looking to do. Maybe go through in someone else rig first. And like you said 4x4junkie, the Rubicon is crowded. I go wheeling to get away from people, and there are plenty of places to wheel in NorCal that are just as fun and as challenging as the Rubicon that see alot less traffic. North of I-80 there are hundreds of miles of old logging roads that people wheel on.

Im still undecided on how I want to build my truck, I think a prerunner will look goofy out on the trails, but a rock crawler cant do the high speed runs and hit the jumps like the prerunner can. I love the way the prerunner B2 looks, but I also like the way a lifted B2 looks. Id like to see one with an exocage before I decide. *Arg* I dont know. I get my 4.0 Liter in 4 days so Im going to focus on getting that built and put in and go from there.

[sarcasm]Thanks everyone for making this decision so easy for me[/sarcasm]

CopyKat,
Are you running drop brackets or did you cut and turn your beams?

-Jester

 

[CopyKat]

CopyKat,
Are you running drop brackets or did you cut and turn your beams?

-Jester

Drop brackets right now but I plan to run shorter ones with the new axle I've got planned.

Most of the 4x4 prerunners use the Highrider geometry for their brackets, this gives them a few inches more of bump travel.

 

[The Jester Race]

Ok you lost me with "Highrider Geometry", please explain.

-Jester

 

[CopyKat]

STX Highrider brackets. They are a 1.5" lift bracket that Ford used some 87-89 rangers. More of a leveling lift for the front. Most of the prerunner guys base their brackets on this 1.5" lift height.

 

[4x4junkie]

Bump travel isn't really a function of the brackets, that's simply a matter of where you put the bumpstop (my axle will go all the way up and hit the frame if I were to remove the bumpstop).

But as far as "tearing up your rig" on Rubicon, not if you've built it to handle it.
When I went through there the only thing I got was a small scrape on the left-rear quarter. No other damage outside of slightly bent rocksliders because I hadn't reinforced them (this was on smallish 33s too). I've been through Dusy/Ershim too (much like Rubicon, but almost 3× longer) and again nothing really to speak of as far as damage. Of course good driving certainly helps too.

So you're 50 miles from the 'Con... I hate you

J/K lol
I would love to live up there. If you can go in the middle of the week, the crowds would likely be non-existent.

 

[CopyKat]

Bump travel isn't really a function of the brackets, that's simply a matter of where you put the bumpstop (my axle will go all the way up and hit the frame if I were to remove the bumpstop).

That's not what I was trying to get across. If you drop the pivots 1.5" you get Just that much more up travel at the wheel before you hit the bumpstop.

 

[4x4junkie]

Oh you're talking about vs. STOCK brackets, I got ya now. Yes that would be true.

The way your post is worded I thought you were implying C&T beams on Highrider brackets would have more travel than unmodded beams on say, 4" lift brackets.

 

[The Jester Race]

Bump travel isn't really a function of the brackets, that's simply a matter of where you put the bumpstop (my axle will go all the way up and hit the frame if I were to remove the bumpstop).

But as far as "tearing up your rig" on Rubicon, not if you've built it to handle it.
When I went through there the only thing I got was a small scrape on the left-rear quarter. No other damage outside of slightly bent rocksliders because I hadn't reinforced them (this was on smallish 33s too). I've been through Dusy/Ershim too (much like Rubicon, but almost 3× longer) and again nothing really to speak of as far as damage. Of course good driving certainly helps too.

So you're 50 miles from the 'Con... I hate you

J/K lol
I would love to live up there. If you can go in the middle of the week, the crowds would likely be non-existent.

Actually I live about 75 miles away or if you take the long way 96 miles, from the 'Con. As far as building a truck to handle it, I know what your saying, and there are rigs that go through without a scratch on them, but then there are guys that beat on their rigs pretty hard too. I know a guy that had his rig on its roof 3 times in one weekend. I guess it is how you drive 'em.

*Sigh* I still dont know which one I want to build. Ive got it, Ill buy another truck and build both.....I wish.

4x4junkie, you got me wanting to build the rock crawler. But I cant get over the way the prerunner looks. I think.... Really, how bad are TTB's in the rocks? And how goofy would a prerunner look out on the 'Con?

Maybe Im going about this all wrong. Maybe I should just throw out the styling and just build and see what comes of it....maybe not, could end up with something that isnt functional. Maybe just to start out, a 4" skyjacker lift and the fiberglass. Use that as my base and build from there.

I didnt think this decission would be so hard.

-Jester

 

[koda6966]

I vote prerunner because IMO it's more fun, although you would have less of a chance to break things as a crawler.

 

[philzilla]

Don't get me wrong i love pre-runner(not the "bro"ed out ones) but i just dont think the b2 would work as well as a pre runner as it would a rock crawler. Just look at jeep speed those things are cool but still the short wheel base exaggerates bumps
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfS9zdVjGh4&feature=related

 

[CopyKat]

They fly pretty straight to me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnHkMuB1xf8